Defining Family
by LadyKimmey
Summary: Taken to become tools for complete strangers. Sakura and Ino have only each other in a strange and hostile organization. Escape, or become needed members of the only home that will now welcome them. Sak/Dei and Ino/Hidan, M/F. Slight AU
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Before I'm asked I want to make mention of where I am getting age factors for this fic. To start in regular Naruto it is said/mentioned 'that it has been almost 7 years since we have all been gathered like this' which indicates that all the current members at that time including Deidara, Hidan and Itachi were all with the Akatsuki almost for 7 years now, minimum. At that time Sakura/Ino would have been 12/13 depending on birthdays, etc. So, it means that all of the members would have already been there when they are 6/7, and also Hidan was the last member to be recruited.

I read that Hidan's ages is 22 in shippuden? or somewhere near that, that would put him at the age of 15/16ish when he joined the Akatsuki, if that is accurate age for him and he is really 22. Also, with Deidara, he is supposed to be 17 in Naruto, and 19 in Shipp, but that would mean he was 10ish when he was recruited, with the almost 7 years that was mentioned. Which is possible since it is said he was the youngest memeber. Also, Itachi is my biggest confusion. I read he is only 5 years older than Sasuke. And that he is 20/21 ish in Shipp (5 years older than Sasuke). but that would mean that at the time they were last assembled, almost 9 years before Shipp (add in the almost 7 and the 2 year time lapse (almost 3) between the series, a guestimate. It would put his age at 11/12 ish when he was already with the Akatsuki? Which he did kill his clan when Sasuke was 6ish or so. Still, even if he was only 11 when he killed his clan or near 12, give or take, WTF? The images, or how he is potrayed, he is almost the same size/height as he is when he is 21. The Itachi in the flashbacks of the slaying, he is not 10 or 11 years old, no way. At the start of the series Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke are supposed to be 12ish. Anyone else see the difference in the age portrayal? Itachi looks to be 14/15 minimum during that time. IMO a more accurate age would be 24/25 in shipp, or he was one pre-teen that was very very matured for his age, and he just didn't hit his last few growth spurts.

Okay, I've rambled enough here. Itachi's age has just always confused me though. This will be a Hidan/Ino and Sakura/Deidara fic. Before you read, I must add that I've watched the subbed version of Shipp, not the dub. In the subtitles and by listening to Deidara speak, every once in a while he will make the hnnn/hmmm noise after speaking. I only heard it a few times. But I've read fics where he says it after almost every sentence or a lot. Sorry, if you like reading/seeing him doing it alot but it won't happen in my fic. It will be done/said occassionally, as I saw/heard/read in the subbed anime.

Warnings: Some violence in this chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or the characters, no money is being made.

Chapter One

"I like this one," It was the prettiest one so far. Sakura Haruno laughed, seeing the peeved look of the blonde girl crouching nearby. She had found it first and it was going into her basket. Only a few more and they'd be done. So far she had mostly lilies and tulips collected. She didn't have a good eye for flowers, not like Ino. For a six year old, there was nothing more important than finding the prettiest flowers to arrange. She had to make hers better than the other girls.

"Let's grab a few gardenia, Sakura." Ino pointed towards the flowers in question that were resting closer towards the forest edge. All the other girls had gone home for the day but she wasn't ready to return. The only thing waiting for her at home was fighting and chores. She'd have to help with the dishes after dinner then listen to her parents. She didn't understand what they were talking about but it was never good when her father raised his voice like that. Things like 'having an empty bed' and 'needing phyisical relieve' made no sense to her. How could her mother be sleeping in an empty bed when she was sleeping in it? What was physicial relief? Was it something like going to the bathroom? Whenever all three of them would sit down to dinner, a dish would always end up broke. They weren't her pink set so she didn't care but she would always be the one left to clean up because both of them would leave. Mother would always slam the door to the bedroom and Father would leave, only to come home later that night smelling like the meat she had accidently left in her room for a month.

"Be careful," Sakura followed slowly behind her friend. They were the only ones still out in the field and it was starting to get dark. Her parents would be angry if she didn't return home soon. They were always angry these days. Not at each other like Ino's, but at her. No matter what she did, Mother was always yelling at her. She never completed her chores fast enough. How many more flowers should they pick? "How many more?"

"Six!" Just like how old she was. Ino grabbed one that was in bloom and grinned. She had gotten the biggest one. Why was Sakura constantly looking around? What was there to be afraid of? They were close to the village and one day they were both going to be shinobi of the leaf. "Oh, wow, do you see that?"

"Huh?" Sakura didn't see anything but it had to be important with how fast Ino dropped the basket. Just as her friend crouched down on all fours to reach into the bushes, the sound of clashing caught her ears. What was that noise? "Do you hear that?"

"Almost, almost there." Just a bit further and, "I got it. Wow, do you see this? It's over three hundred. We can buy lots of candy with this. This is so cool! Someone must have dropped it."

"Oh, wow!" Sakura eyed the waving paper in delight. They could go get them some snacks with that. Her parents never let her have snacks. They never let her do anything fun anymore. The only free time she had was during class. For the last two months there had been something called a 'lock down'. She wondered if it had anything to do with Sasuke's family getting killed. "But why would someone drop it? They might want it back."

"Hmm, you know, I do hear something. I wonder if it is the person that dropped this." With a shrug, she stuffed the paper in her pocket and ducked beneath the bushes to follow the sound of the noise. What was going on? Who else was out here? It couldn't be anyone bad, no one would come this close to their village. "Come on, Sakura."

"I'm coming." Why were they going to inspect the scary noises? It sounded like fighting. They could get hurt or get yelled at. Her parents would get angry if she went too far. Then she'd be grounded and would have double chores. "We'll get in trouble if we go too far."

"Stop being a baby and move it. We need to get closer." Ino waved for her friend to stop as they neared the edge of the bushes. In the clearing up ahead, there were six men, all wearing Leaf protectors fighting against two. The group was fighting off invaders, it was so cool. It was better than watching her father fighting. The bad men were wearing strange black robes with funny clouds on them. "Sakura, look over there."

She saw it, it was where the candy money had come from. The briefcase was filled with wads of it but one of the paper wraps had been sliced through. Four rows down, six across and it probably was deep enough to have a bottom layer. That was a lot of money to be on the ground. What were they doing with it? Who were they and what were they doing this close?

"Go get it! They won't notice." She wanted that money! Ino eyed the gift that was just sitting there, begging to be taken. With that she could give it to her parents and they could stop fighting. Her Mom wouldn't have a reason to yell if they had that much. Her Father wouldn't have to take so many missions and the bed wouldn't be empty or something like that. Then the accusations of 'sneaking around' would stop. It was all foolish anyways. Why would her Mother sneak anywhere? She wasn't a thief or a shinobi, so she had never been taught how to sneak. Why sneak? One would always get to their destination if they just ran to start with. She needed that money. Of course, she'd give Sakura a little bit of it.

"No, it isn't ours and I'm scared." It probably belonged to the bad men and she wasn't going to steal it from them. What if they were seen? The one with green hair looked normal but the other looked like a monster. There was something wrong with him. "You do it, I double dare you. If you want it, you go get it."

"Fine, I will." They didn't need it and Finders Keepers. Ino gulped seeing the strange man knocking back one of the shinobi. None of them were looking their way so this would be easy. She just had to get that money so her parents would stop fighting. It had to belong to the bad men because no one in their village was that rich. She crept out of the bushes and closer to the suitcase.

What was that little brat doing? Kakuzu tightened his fingers around the meaty throat held in his palm. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the flash of blonde and the slamming of the briefcase echoed in his ear. The little tart had just ran off with his bounty. Who did she think she was? He sent his hand to pierce the chest of the nearest victim, leaving only the remaining two that were fighting his partner. "I'll leave this to you."

The rustling of the bushes let him know where the little thief had ran off to. He leapt through the air to land on the tree branch and followed the noise the pest was making. Finally, in the next clearing, not one but two little brats stumbled out gasping for air. He crouched on the limb and peered down at the two.

"I can't believe you did that, Ino. You could have been killed. It won't do you any good when you're dead."

"I'm not dead, they were too busy to notice us. Besides, I need it. Don't you know how important money is? Why do you think everyone works? Why we shinobi do missions?" The blonde chit was clutching his money to her chest. "Did you notice how much it was?"

"I'm not stupid, of course I did. Twenty million, less depending on how much blew away from that torn bundle. I'm just not sure we should take someone's money. What if they come looking for it?"

"They can't find us, we got away without being noticed. I'll just fight them for it."

Interesting, how had they managed to count it so quickly? The blonde child hadn't had much time to figure out exactly what was in the briefcase. Did they do the math with just a glance? Not even he could do that. They had some guts stealing from him. What were two children doing out this far?

"With this money my father won't have to go on so many missions. This much money is always worth steal or fighting for. We should head back before the shinobi finish with them."

Finish them? What naïve little pests. Children of shinobi most likely from their attitudes and the comment. Which gave him an idea, a good one. He had been told to keep an eye out for any possible recruits. They probably wouldn't be much good in a fight but he could use at least one of them. Having to deal with the books could be hectic at times. Every time he got sent on a mission, he'd be up to his neck in paperwork when he returned. If they could recruit a little fuck that liked to blow things up, then he could bring someone back to help him keep their finances in order. Should he take the blonde or the other? Or both? He didn't know much about children.

They appeared to be close from the way they walked next to each other. Perhaps by taking both, it would be easier to control them. They could keep each other company whenever he went on missions. He could teach them what was expected of them and the importance of money.

Kakuzu leapt down and landed in front of the two children. They screamed at his sudden appearance forcing him to silence them. His hands grabbed them behind the neck and squeezed hard enough to make them black out. His money fell to the ground in a hard thump at his feet. What to do with two little thieves? It would take some time before he could teach them how to keep up with the finances. They were both female, he could find uses for them. Someone in that damn hideout needed to learn how to cook and females were natural housekeepers.

"What are you going to do with them?"

He turned to glare at the man he was slowly deciding to eliminate. The idiotic bastard had only been with him for a month and he was already tired of him. Did the prick really expect him to remember his name when he didn't plan on letting the fool live that long? There was only so much gay, prissy, twirling he could withstand. "Take them."

"Whatever for? They will only get in the way and they are atrocious to behold." The long green hair was flicked back in a girly manner, not befitting for a member of the Akatsuki.

Was he being questioned? Kakuzu rolled his eyes as his threads pierced the pale throat making the next complaint come out in a gurgling noise. He didn't really care what else his partner had been about to say. Where did they find these recruits? When would they give him a partner he wouldn't want to kill? The cocksucker fell to the ground while clutching his throat.

Both children were tossed over an arm and he grabbed his money with the other. It was time to head back to the hideout. If they bothered to ask why he decided to bring back the two, he would just have to inform them that his partner fell tragically in battle.

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"What do you care?" Kakuzu flipped to the next page of the ledge without gracing the stupid question with an answer. If they could recruit, so could he and he would make good use of the two sleeping peacefully on the cot. It wasn't often that many of the members were all here at one time. Everyone had things they were doing and they would learn their place. There was nothing wrong with having two young females in their hideout. He couldn't say for sure what kind of shinobi they would become but he wasn't particularly interested in their fighting skills just yet.

"It could become a problem." Sasori wasn't going to argue over just how the man's last partner fell in battle. He wouldn't be shocked if it had been by Kakuzu's hand or threads. The man didn't have any patience, so why bring in two children? What was the man thinking? Deidara was an exception. The boy was to eventually replace Orochimaru and already showed great talent. These two were nothing more than sniveling brats.

"I will deal with it." They wouldn't be that much of a problem. He would teach them how to behave befitting a member of the Akatsuki. The sooner he could teach them to organize the books, he could concentrate on finding ways to bring in more funds. He was tired of the members bitching about having food and supplies but they didn't do much to bring in money to purchase the items. Everything cost money and they needed to stop pestering him about what he was doing.

"Are you planning on bedding them?" Why else would he bring them here? Was someone like Kakuzu still a slave to the flesh?

"Get out!" That was disgusting and he wouldn't listen to such nonsense. He had no desires to bed anyone. If he wanted a whore, he'd go find one. The only problem with whores was they cost money and he loathed to waste any of it on something so meaningless and intangible.

The slamming of the door announced the departure of the bulky figure. Only the blonde child stirred from the noise. He'd keep them in his rooms for now. There was a bathroom for their use and he didn't trust them not to try and run. He'd hadn't bothered to cart them all the way back to the hideout to let them run off. He would have to keep them away from several of the others as well. He didn't trust that fish bastard not to take a bite.

He already had a list of chores for them to do when they woke. Sometime during his absence the newest recruit had caused a bomb to go off and it had caused part of the ceiling to fall down onto his papers. The stacks were in complete disarray and he hated disorder. He was sure the two could manage to put them all back in order according to the date. Someone would need to sweep the floor and the bathroom could use a good washing. All girls knew how to cook so he should be able to fire the maid soon in order to save some money.

"I'm coming inside."

"Suit yourself," Kakuzu didn't care either way. As long as the young brat wasn't going to complain against his new help. He wasn't going to get rid of them and he didn't have time to explain himself to every damn member of this organization. What the hell was the Uchiha doing here? Had that bitch, Sasori, complained on the way out?

"I see that Sasori spoke the truth, you really did bring children back with you." Itachi looked down at the two children. They looked familar. Where had he seen them from? The duo had been in Konoha to complete a mission. What else had they done while there? That was it, he had seen them playing with his brother once while on the playground. The man had actually stolen two of Konoha's children. "That could cause problems, the blonde there belongs to the Yamanaka clan."

"Am I supposed to feel threatened by that information? If that is all you have to say then you should get the hell out. I have work to do and you are getting on my nerves." He didn't care what clan she was from. They couldn't care too much about these children if they were that far from the village without supervision.

"No, I've been sent to tell you that we have located another member. You will be needing a new partner since your last one was killed." Or simply disposed of. Itachi tried not to show that he was somewhat relieved that the man was no longer with them. He would never wish ill upon another but that one had made his skin crawl. No man should look at him while sucking on candy that way. The hungry gazes unnerved him to great ends. He wasn't the newest member of the Akatsuki, having been amongst them for months now, but he still didn't have the authority to dictate who was recruited.

"Then go fetch him, I have things to take care of." Like wake those two and give them instructions. He hated coming back to a mess. Perhaps later he would go speak to that new member and instruct him on how important it was NOT to fuck up his paperwork.

"We already have and he is one has great potential when it comes to being your partner." If the rumors were true then the man was immortal. The others were getting tired of the man slaying his partners. "He is standing outside in the hall, I'll have him come in shortly to be introduced."

"Whatever, I don't care." With a nod the Uchiha waved to someone. A new partner? As long as it wasn't someone gay, loud, crude or stupid. If it was any of those things, he'd kill them. With a heavy sigh, he turned towards the two still sleeping to find that one had woken up sometime during that small exchange. The blonde girl was finally awake and looking at him with an expression mixed with fear and curiosity. "Don't think of screaming, it will only piss me off."

Where were they? Ino knew not to open her mouth, seeing the scary man watching her. They weren't in Konoha, she knew it immediately. It was the same one that had suddenly appeared in front of them. He hadn't hurt them? Besides being a bit sleepy, she was okay. Sakura was snoring softly in front of her, but she was okay too. This bad man had escaped those other shinobi, he had to be super strong.

"Shut the fuck up, I'm going." The door slapped further open and bounced into the wall. A new bad man was in the doorway, kind of. He wasn't that old at all, or he didn't look old. His age was probably around fourteen or fifteen.

"Huh?" A hand clamped over Sakura's mouth as she tried to sit up. Her eyes began to focus on the two men. The wierd one from the forest was starting to stand and took two steps away from the desk. There wasn't much light in the place but she quickly realized that they were in trouble. The shushing noise beside her was Ino, they had been taken by the bad man. Neither of the two looked friendly and from the mean looks, they weren't the happy kind of people either. What was going to happen to them?

"Heh, so you're this Kakuzu I've been hearing about. You don't look like anything special to me. I was told you were strong. No one said you'd be so fucking ugly. I'm seriously supposed to stare at your damn face everyday? I'll be lucky if I can keep breakfast down each morning."

"My beauty is irrelevant when it comes to being your partner. We've been introduced, now get the hell out of my quarters." Kakuzu didn't like him already. The little shit had some nerve talking to him that way. He'd just wait until no one was around to get rid of him.

"Kakuzu, this is Hidan, your new partner." Itachi was glad it wasn't him that was being stuck with the foul-mouth shinobi. He got on just fine with Kisame so far. These two were surely going to be like oil and water and neither could be slain. This could be interesting. "I'll leave you two alone to get acquainted."

"I said to get out, I have things to do." Like handle the two that had woken up and were watching in fear. If they began to panic and scream, he would have to snap their necks to end the noise. What a waste that would be.

"Not yet, I've been told to inform you that I need to get some new weapons. Give me some damn money, you ugly fuck." Hidan crossed his arms and waited. This was really the one that handle their funds? How smart could he be? Why was a mummy running things? As long as the bastard gave him enough to purchase some new swords, he didn't care. Perhaps, a scythe would be a good investment as well.

"Get a damn job, this isn't a charity." It was confirmed, he was going to kill him at the first available opportunity. There was no way he'd be able to handle someone so loud on a daily basis. Were they trying to punish him for slaying so many of his partners? The next was always more annoying than the previous.

"Give me some money, I need a new weapon. I was told to get it from here." Hidan tilted his head hearing the small squeak. What the hell were brats doing here? The one with pink hair was already crying in fear. The little blonde was glaring at him, just like the mummy bastard. What was up with those arms anyways? "I see, I can't get money for a weapon but you're charitable enough to take care of two brats."

"Those brats may be young but they have already shown to have more intelligence than you seem to possess." A lot more. This one had to be really stupid if he thought he was intimidating with that little sword. Another minute and he was just going to kill him now.

"Who you calling stupid, you ugly mummy fuck? Why don't I just take what I want?" Hidan eyed the several suitcases that had to contain the money. He'd just take what he wanted and get his weapon made. Killing was getting annoying with the basic weapons he'd been given in his former village.

"You brought this upon yourself." Kakuzu heard the Uchiha pause in the hall and take a step back. He would get severely lectured if he accidently killed someone else's partner. His shoulder slammed into the annoying prick that didn't know when to shut up. The threads pierced the scrawny neck as they hit the far wall inside the hallway.

They were fighting! Ino removed her hand from Sakura's mouth to lean forward on the cot to get a better look. Was the loud one dead? No, the hand was bringing the blade up to try slicing through the bad man that had taken them. Then the scary one was out of view. As she blinked the young one was punched and came skidding into the room. He fell to knees nearby but was getting back up. Having him in the room was scarier than the ugly one. Sakura's hand touched her back, having the same thoughts.

"Hn, you can't kill me, you ass-faced cocksucker." Hidan couldn't believe he had attacked him like that. The freak didn't know who he was messing with. The gasp drew his attention back to the bed, "Fine, I'll just kill your ass and I'll make sure to tear your little bitches apart as well. Maybe then you'll be able to afford to pay once you don't have to feed two little brats. That's right, you hear me?"

What? The man was no longer looking at them but the finger was pointing back at them. Ino knew he was talking about her and Sakura. Why would he want to hurt children? She scrambled forward on the bed and reached for the oil lamp the strange one had been using to read with. The mean man was laughing at something only he had heard and found to be funny. Sakura was telling her not to do it. The lamp crossed the room and missed! It had went too low and hit him in the back but not his head where she had been aiming.

"Owe, fuck that is hot!" Hidan screeched as the heat intensified against his back. What the hell? His back was on fire! When had that happened? He turned to see the oil lamp rolling near his feet. "Put it out, put it out!"

"Get out!" Kakuzu made sure to kick directly into the growing flames, sending the annoyance out of the room and through the hallway wall. The others could deal with him. Where had they managed to drag up that one? The door slammed shut in the Uchiha's face ending the discussion. He bent down to retrieve his favorite lamp. It was tempered glass so it hadn't shattered upon impact but a good bit of the oil had managed to spill out. The flame had gone out as well. "Do not worry, it didn't shatter."

"Um, okay." Would she have gotten in trouble if it had? Ino was glad that the other one was gone. This one didn't look ready to hurt them. He had also gotten rid of the one that said he was going to kill them. She had stolen from him and he didn't seem angry. Maybe if she gave him back his money, he'd let them go. She dug inside her pocket to find the three crinkled bills and hopped off of the bed. "Here, you can have it back."

When had she gotten those? It was the missing three hundred he had been searching for. Both were watching to see what he would do. Normally, he would remove someone's head for stealing from him. "Keep it, you just earned it by helping me get rid of that annoying prick without resorting to killing him. Go sit back down, I will go fetch you something to eat."

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"Here is another one," Sakura handed the sheet of paper to Ino who had the proper stack in front of her. The work was turning out to be more boring than hard. It wasn't really hard to seperate them by the date. Most of the day had been spent and they had them almost all done by months and the year. Next they would have to do them all by the days, then put all of them in proper order. Working together was making it easier. The scary man that said his name was Kakuzu had told them to behave and do what he said or they'd be punished. Why did adults keep giving them chores? At least he hadn't punished them by denying them food earlier when she had accidently knocked the stack he was working on over. He had calmly restacked them and told her to be more careful lest she make more work for herself.

"Here is a July," her fingers were hurting but it was better than being dead. Ino grabbed the next paper and put it in with the December stack for last year. Why did the man keep so many papers? He had said something earlier about liking things orderly. "I wonder if he is really going to bring us some cake."

"Cake? Shouldn't we go home? Our parents are going to be angry." She wanted to go home, she didn't like it there. There was a lot of noise and she was sure she had seen a shark walking around on legs! This place was scary and was just a bunch of bad men in girly cloaks. "I want to go home. Lets run away."

"Why and go where?" Ino turned to her friend, who had stopped working to pout. Didn't she get it? "We have no idea where we are. That man is an elite shinobi, do you have any idea how fast they can run? What if he used a teleportition jutsu?"

"You mean teleportation jutsu and we should still go home. I'm going to be grounded now. My mom gets mad really easy and she already said that you are a bad influence." Sakura wanted to go home before she got grounded for thirty years.

"I'm smart enough to know that we can't run." She wasn't a bad influence but her Father had always taught her to think each situation out and then decide the wisest course of action. "Even if we could find our way out of here past all of the bad men, we don't know where we are. We would die in the woods. Monsters, ghosts and bandits are in the woods. We'd get lost since we don't know where we are."

"Oh, right." Sakura didn't want to run into any monsters. If they couldn't go home on their own, then what were they supposed to do? "Then what do we do? I don't like it here. Kakuzu seems okay but that one said he was going to hurt us."

"We will be strong and wait to be rescued. My father should be able to find us so for now we do what we are told and survive. I don't think he will kill us as long as we behave and do what he says. If he wanted to kill us, he would have done it in the forest." Ino grabbed a fresh stack and looked at the sheet of paper. "I don't like it either but I was always told to be strong and not to die needlessly."

"You're smart, Ino." Sakura nodded and reached for the next stack as well. The man had given them food and had promised to return with more. "But what if they don't find us?"

"Then we get stronger and do whatever it takes to survive. We are already in the academy so we are kunoichi. We will stick together no matter what happens." They had no one but each other in this place. "We also stick close to Ka..."

BOOM! The noise echoed through the walls causing the stacks to shake in the wake. Sakura placed her hands on the nearest ones to prevent them from toppling over. A far stack toppled but remained in a compressed pile on the floor. Another loud bang a bit further away was heard and then the shouting began. The one that sounded like the mean man from earlier was laughing but didn't stop at their door. "Are we under attack? Think it is our parents?"

"No," they would never resort to blowing the place up when children were inside. The door swung open and quickly closed. Someone with long blonde hair stepped inside without bothering to knock first. The girl didn't even bother to speak to them, she rushed by and ran to the shelf. The room only had one window, too small for even them to fit through. The girl was a bit older and had on one of those silly cloaks. She swore then rushed back over, to head towards the other door. There was nothing in that room but Kakuzu's bed chambers. In the process of going through, the rude girl managed to knock over the five stacks Sakura had perfectly arranged. "Look what you did!"

It was all ruined. Sakura felt the tears beginning to fall as the work she had done toppled to the floor without care. The girl hadn't even bothered to look where she was going. That was so mean and cruel, "You ruined it! I'm gonna get in trouble."

"What? Shut up!"

"How dare you!" Ino couldn't believe the nerve of the girl. She leapt at the girl's back as she turned to leave the room. It wasn't right to make a mess then act like you did nothing wrong. The girl hit the floor with a loud thump, face first and began to scream. There was plenty of hair for her to grab onto and begin pulling. The piercing scream echoed in the room when Sakura decided to join in and started punching the girl in the back wherever both fists could reach. The cracking sound made her stomach turn and the intruder hollered. The blood only got on the floor and the mean girl grabbed her own face.

"What the hell is going on here?" Kakuzu reached out to grab both children. Well, he had found Deidara. The boy was swearing and rolled over cupping his face. This place was a damn mess, again! "What are you doing in my room?"

"She made a mess, Kakuzu-san!" Ino addressed him so as a show of respect in the hopes he wouldn't get angry with them. "We were almost done and she ran inside and knocked everything over."

"She did, did she?" The little prick needed to be taken down a peg or two. The others might overlook the explosions but no one messed with his finances. If he couldn't kill the punk, he'd teach him a lesson. "Deidara, I don't remember giving you permission to run into my quarters. I am not Sasori, I don't have the patience to deal with your antics. You will stop your sniveling and help them straighten up the mess you just made. If you so much as step out of this room without it being finished, I'll remove your damn head."

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Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for reading, sorry it took so long for update, was in the process of moving. Finally, in my own place so hopefully I'll be able to update more often. Easier to write when you're not stressed out and have someone staring at you like you got a bugger stuck to your chin. But pls enjoy the update. And please review.

Warnings: None this chapter really, except a bit of language.

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

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Chapter Two

Another stack down, many more to go. Why did he have to do this? Deidara didn't bother to glance over hearing the irritating chatter of squeaky, female voices. Why the hell did they have children here? They were useless and annoying as all hell. The little brats had managed to break his nose. Leave it to the mummy to have odd tastes. Were the other members really okay with bringing children in as members? "Their standards must be low if they are letting you live."

"What?" What had the girl said? Sakura piped up hearing the soft voice mumbling something incohorent behind a stack of papers. Kakuzu had only stopped in once since the disturbance and that had been long enough to bring their meal and to make sure their guest was working on cleaning the mess. This time he had brought chicken and rice, with cake for dessert. The tea was really bitter but it was cold. There had been noise an hour ago, someone had been screaming about losing a missive. The voice had been deep and scary, she was glad it hadn't come into the room.

"I said they must be desperate if they will allow you two to remain alive. What use do they have for two little girls? Can't be much of an organization if they need you. What can you two possibly do?" Deidara hated kids, they only got in the way. If he thought he could get away with it, he'd show them a piece of his art. See if they wanted to play with a rose made with great care.

"Well, if we are useless, what does that make you since we beat you up?" Ino didn't think they were useless. Sakura kept whining and they couldn't fight but they weren't useless like little babies. What kind of organization thing were these people? Each one she had seen all were wearing strange clothes but none of them looked alike, so they weren't family. Maybe they were all friends.

"Pissed! You only won because I don't hit girls!" It was a good excuse, they didn't need to know just yet that he had no issues with putting a bomb underneath their pillows. They had also surprised him, that was all. He wouldn't lose to them if the battle had been real. What a mouthy little brat. "Or I would have kicked your ass."

"I'll hit you, girl or no, you made a mess." Ino pointed a finger towards the half mess that still littered the floor. This girl couldn't be much older than them but she was mean. If they weren't rescued soon, they would have to stay away from her.

"Don't fight," Sakura hated fighting. They were being mean to each other. All the other people were scary and the girl seemed to be okay. Couldn't they be friends? She knew what to do, the girl had to be thirsty since Kakuzu hadn't bothered to bring the third dinner. She reached over for her teacup that still had something to offer. "Here, have some tea. It'd be nice to have another girl friend."

"Screw off!" Deidara slapped the cup away and didn't care that it shattered against the wall. He didn't want to drink after a disgusting kid. There was no telling where her mouth had been or what germs she was carrying. She was more annoying than the blonde one, "I'm not a girl either. Just because I'm not as ugly as you, doesn't make me female. Take your offer of friendship and your huge forehead, and get the hell away from me."

"Leave her alone. It's okay Sak..." Ino shrieked in dismay, even though she had realized what was about to happen before it did. The boy-girl actually crossed his arms and cocked his-her head and smiled at winning the pun war. It was so unconcerned about Sakura's reaction, it didn't notice her hand reaching for the plate that had held dinner. It cracked hard against the yellow hair, sending the unwanted help to the side and right into a pile of contracts.

"TAKE IT BACK!" Sakura didn't care if he or she, whatever it was, was in the process of knocking back over their work, all in an attempt to scramble away across the floor. Her forehead wasn't that big, Ino had told her so. All she had been trying to do was share and she no longer wanted to be friends with someone so mean. Not until he/she took it back. "Say it, take it back."

"Ouch! Get the fuck off my hair." Again? Deidara swore at not having any clay on him or not being that good of a physical fighter. He turned on his back, having the girl pouncing on him for a second time in one day. What was wrong with these children? No wonder the sadistic man had taken them under his wing, they were just as mad. He used a palm to strike into the girl's chest, aiming to knock her off. The little brat ignored the blow and squatted on his hips. A fist was brought down onto his stomach, making it burn. The little bitch wasn't even putting chakra into the hits, what a beast. Screw this, he wasn't about to let some ugly mouse to keep hitting him.

Sakura screamed when the girl-boy rolled and took her along. She somehow ended up on her back and before she could blink, hands were around her throat. Fingers not much larger than her own were squeezing hard, making it hurt. She couldn't breath and Ino was screaming at the top of her lungs. Her tiny legs were trapped underneath weight much heavier than her own. Now that he/she was sitting on her, she noticed a few things, the person didn't have legs like a girl. The strength was felt, as the knees kept her own limbs from flailing. The last thing she saw was a pleased smile as darkness swam before her eyes and the distant crying of Ino eventually was muted.

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Really? Was that their only objection? Kakuzu wanted to kill at least three of them. His temper was being held on by a very, very, very, very thin, thread. Did they really expect him to sit here and have to listen to this nonsense? What kind of meeting was this? Half of them weren't even here, so what right did they have to give their opinion on the matter? It was settled, he should have ripped off that little, cockless, bastard's head. "I'm not getting rid of them and that is final."

"Must we have this same discussion again?" Itachi was sure he wasn't the only one tired of it being brought up as a topic duing their meetings. A few of them weren't here for this one and how lucky they were. Even his patience was wearing thin from Deidara's complaints, Hidan wasn't helping. Pein was surely ready to throw a fit.

"I tire of that little bitch and his whining." Kakuzu was glad that it was just Sasori, Itachi and Pein present for this little grilling. His own partner, he had sent out on a single mission to earn funds to replace a wall he had destroyed. Ever since that first encounter, Deidara had been a thorn in his side. He should have killed the fuck instead of simply filling his stomach with holes. Not only had he made a new mess, one of his helpers had been turning blue.

"I understand your complaints and his, I am simply asking that you two come to a compromise." Pein didn't want to have to address this issue between them again. He had already agreed once to allow Kakuzu to keep his charges, this hadn't sat well with their youngest member. "Perhaps, try placing them elsewhere?"

"They aren't to be raised as whores! They are there to assist me in keeping this organization from going broke. I have already dismissed the old crone that was caring for the compound. Not only are they free labor, they do thrice the job in half the time. That fucking brat can deal or become the bitch he so whines like." Kakuzu would walk before bowing to this demand. Pein dwelled elsewhere from the majority of the members and had his own female partner tending to him. He would not go back to eating slop or cleaning his own linen. The two girls had already saved him a lot of money. Both together didn't eat as much as Hidan did during one sitting. In the four months they had been there, the entire place had been cleaned from top to bottom, it no longer smelt like dead ass. Even someone as bitchy as Hidan appreciated having clean air.

"I must admit, I agree with him." Itachi wanted it settled. While he never heard his own partner say one way or the other, he appreciated having good food to eat. It had been heaven to return from their long mission last week, to sink his head down on pillows that didn't smell of old dirt. "From what I can see they obey Kakuzu without fail and keep to themselves. The problems only come when Deidara comes around and starts a fight."

"I'll speak to him again, do as you will." Pein nodded in agreement, noticing that while Sasori didn't speak in agreement with their treasurer, he didn't speak out against him. "Now, on to other matters. I need you to reassess the funds left from their latest mission. I will move forward with my plans to relocate my whereabouts. I have something specific in mind and it will be costly."

"Fine, I'll do what I can but that means informing several of your choice picks that they will have to get off their asses." Kakuzu only knew a bit about their leader and who he really was. The thing that often showed up at meetings, the very image they were seeing during the meeting, that wasn't Pein. It had taken him but a moment to notice that something was wrong with the man. There was no actual life inside that body, it wasn't far from his own. Whatever, he didn't care and he wasn't the type to condemn anyone for their beliefs or methods.

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Ino tilted her head to the side, not really getting what it meant to divide a fraction of the cost with the amount of revenue, so they could figure out the total amount of the asses or sunset? This was boring, no wonder Sakura was all smiles while learning. She just didn't have the brain power to listen properly. After eight months, she was better suited for cleaning and cooking. Sakura did the main helping with the books, even did all of it whenever their sensei was away.

"What about this subtraction?" Sakura noticed that the handwriting had scribbled down bitch's shit. Who was the bitch and why were they paying for her feces? What did it mean? She was supposed to tend to the books for the next few months while the others were away and she didn't want to make any mistakes.

"That is for the bitch's clay. Also, while I'm gone it is going to be cut in half. As a matter of fact, I'll give him the amount up front." Kakuzu didn't want the boy to come anywhere near them while he was not around. He didn't think Deidara would be foolish enough to actually try to kill one of them again. Not since he had found Sakura being choked, had the specialist raised a hand to either. As a matter of fact, none of the members had taken to being physically cruel. All they would do was use their words to lash out but he had chosen two that were tough enough to ignore most of it.

"I don't think you should give him any money for his clay." Ino piped up from her spot next to the desk. "I mean, the more he has, the more he blows up. Not like he is training or fighting enemies, he is being wasteful."

He did like to blow things up but Sakura liked his creations before he got rid of them. The other day, she watched while he created a butterfly. He was still mean but she liked what he could do with just clay. "I like his art, it is different."

"Wrong, Sakura." Ino huffed at the simple statement. "Art is beautiful and appreciative to the eye. Causing smoke and debris isn't good, not when I have to keep cleaning up the messes and Kakuzu-sensei has to keep paying to repair the damage."

"True," but she still liked them. "But it is mean not to give him his clay."

"It is even more wrong to be wasteful. It is stupid to make something and then blow it up moments later. Maybe if he didn't waste so much, we'd get something besides handed down clothes." Ino clamped a hand over her mouth as soon as the words came out. She didn't want to sound ungrateful or rude. "Sorry, Kakuzu-sensei, I meant no disrespect."

"It is not disrespectful to point out truths." He sighed noticing that they were indeed in clothes that were too large or just plain ragged. The only time he had taken them shopping for clothes it had been at an old shop during a mission. They had been given a limit on what to spend. Instead of going for a place high in price, they had chosen cheap and used to get more. "I'll remedy that fact as soon as I return from this misson. And if I return to find that you behaved and did what is expected, I'll even buy you both a present. What would you like?"

"Really?" Sakura was thrilled at the idea of getting a present. With the way the other members ate, they were lucky to get any dessert after dinner. For their sensei to offer to purchase something trivial and unbenefitial was a great treat. "I want that dolly I saw last week."

"A doll?" Well, she was still a little girl. Kakuzu turned to Ino, to figure out how much more he was going to have to work out of his budget. Whatever it was, he'd get it. They earned more on a daily basis than most of the members did during a mission. It was hard to keep a place clean when it was occupied by nothing but males. He would also never admit that Sakura's smarts was making his own work half as tedious. Just like he would never say outloud how much he enjoyed every meal Ino made. Who knew that cooked meat could actually turn out tender enough that it didn't threaten to break one's teeth?

Ino thought about it for a moment. Who knew when they would be offered a gift again? She didn't want a doll or some kind of toy. "How about a pin? One like that hime was wearing. As long as it looks pretty in my hair, I want a pin."

"A pin?" Right, he could handle that. It wouldn't be as fancy or expensive as the one she had apparently seen in some other woman's hair but it could be done. He would just take the cost out of Deidara and Hidan's part of the budget to cover the difference.

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With a cry of glee, Ino took the door leading to the outside. The chores were finally done and she had time to play. Unfortunately, Sakura was still locked away in the office with Kakuzu-sensei going over the books. The team had returned late last night while they both slept. Ino had been just as excited as her friend to see the gifts placed neatly next to their bed. While she had tended to all of the chores for the day, Kakuzu had asked to be shown the records for while he was away.

Not only did she have some new clothes to call her own, but nestled safe in the base of her ponytail was the new pin she had been bought. It was even better than the one she had spotted. It was all gold with multiple diamonds, at the base of each tooth. She had counted twelve in total. Now embedded in her hair, all one could see was the gold rose design that completed her gift.

"Do you have to be so damn cheerful?" Hidan didn't bother glancing towards the source of the annoying squeal, he knew who it was. The little twit was the only one that would come near him. The one with the big forehead would turn the other way whenever he was within distance. Most likely it was out of dislike, not fear though. The two were so attached to Kakuzu's panties, they believed themselves to be untouchable.

"Do you have to be so damn grumpy?" Ino crossed her arms behind her back and turned to see what the man was doing. He had completely ignored them this morning during breakfast. He was now perched atop a large boulder with his weapon in hand.

He wasn't grumpy. Did she realize that Kakuzu was sure to blame her language on him? Why was she out here? Didn't she have something to clean or someone else to annoy? Apparently not, she came skipping over to stand next to his spot. The sun glinted off of the tiny jewels embedded inside the damn pin, nearly blinding him in the process. He scoffed before returning to his sharpening. He wouldn't get jealous over a child, he wasn't that petty. If that old fuck wanted to spend so much on a stupid little trinket then he didn't care. The price of that little gift could buy him several weapons and feed them for a year.

"What'cha doing?" Why was he sharpening his weapon? It looked pointy enough already. What kind of weapon was that? Ino was sure she had never seen anything like it in the village. Was it hard to use? Was it heavy? The stone made a scraping noise as it ran along the top blade. "Why does it have so many blades?"

Did she have to talk so much? Hidan rolled his eyes, hoping that if he didn't answer, she'd grow bored and leave. Why was she so nosey? Couldn't she go beat up on Deidara or something? Or make dinner? There was nothing interesting about what he was doing and he wasn't the type of person that liked kids. The only reason he wasn't going to kick her in the face was because she would retaliate. The last time he had taken a swing at her, she had burnt his dinner on purpose. It was either eat that or go hungry, since Kakuzu would go on a tirade about the cost of food and not wasting supplies.

"Why is it so big?" Ino placed her hands on the boulder to lean forward, speaking loud enough that he couldn't pretend that he couldn't hear her. The heavy sigh let her know that he was listening, just being a dork by not answering. Why wouldn't he answer? "I asked Kakuzu-sensei why you liked big weapons, he says because you are conpensating for something. What does that mean?"

"Shut the fuck up, you little brat. I am not and you are annoying." Conpensating for something his ass. Hidan wasn't about to explain the implied insult and made a mental note to do something to piss Kakuzu off later. Just because he didn't have a fifteen inch horse cock, didn't mean he was lacking. He wasn't about to explain that before returning they had made an unexpected stop at a local brothel. The only reason he had gotten some action was because the place had been running a two-for-one special that evening. His company for the evening had been more or less free. It had shocked the hell out of him that his partner would spend the little bit of money on a piece of ass. However, Kakuzu was a man and they all had needs. Fuck, he hadn't been too shocked when he had been informed that it would be at least another year or so before it would happen again. Once a year? The man's cock had to be as dead as the man's flesh. Then again, the only way someone like Kakuzu would get pussy would be to pay for it. The fuck looked like a mummy, had the personality of a troll, and the man didn't believe in rape. "Go inside, I'm busy."

"Hm, how do you use it?" Ino ignored the command. She didn't have to listen to him and she had time before she had to cook dinner. What was the point in making sure the tips were so pointy? The weapon itself was kind of plain but it was simply the design of the blades that made her curious. Did it work like kunai?

"I stab people with it." He snapped in impatience. What else would he use a weapon for? Was it her mission today to give him a migraine? Had his partner sent the little nag out here to drive him crazy? This was his punishment for bitching about needing more money for some rods.

"Three times?"

"Shut up! Or I will use it on you." Hidan placed the stone down and swung the blades towards her, stopping just an inch short of the pert little nose. He had to give it to her, she didn't flinch but stared in awe. This brat definitely belonged to his partner. One day, he'd have to ask about how the man had come to have them. He couldn't imagine that they were actually his own children.

"No, you won't. Kakuzu-sensei won't let you hurt me." Ino wasn't scared of him, he just had a big mouth. Their sensei had described Hidan as a man that liked to talk a lot. It was something like, 'All bark and no bite.' Besides, she knew that he did like having her do things for him. "You also like how I cook and I'm the only one that will wash your clothes, because Sakura says they smell like a dead fart."

"My things don't stink, go away." Hidan brought his weapon back around to finish. The little girl had the gall to giggle before sticking her tongue out. Without commenting on his boast, she began laughing before walking away. What a pain in the ass! A huge annoyance, but he had to admit she was kind of cute. As long as you were able to overlook her mouth. Adorable but mouthy. Yeah, he would definitely have to put something crawly in her bed tonight.

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Please review...Sorry if there are any mistakes, my daughter usually edits but she is working on her own fics.


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